Over the course of her 70-year reign, she came to be known and beloved for what Politico calls her own brand of “marshmallow diplomacy,” and her enduring stoicism. Queen Elizabeth has been revered as the “grandmother of the nation,” writes NBC; Politico continues that her apolitical nature added to her relatability, especially in the United States, where she was popular amongst both Republicans and Democrats.
Read More
After what Reuters describes as an “often bad-tempered and divisive leadership contest,” British Prime Minister Liz Truss was officially confirmed by Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 5.
Read More
In the midst of intense political turmoil, Pakistan’s parliament elected its new Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif on April 11, reports The New York Times. The new Prime Minister was voted in after the previous Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was ousted in a contentious no-confidence vote on April 10.
Read More
As Jamaica approaches its 60th anniversary of the end of British rule, it has also begun the process of removing Queen Elizabeth II as it head of state and transitioning into a republic, reports The Independent. Jamaica is one of 14 countries outside the United Kingdom that is classified as a Commonwealth, meaning that Queen Elizabeth II is still head of state, according to Time. A new head of state has already been selected from within the Jamaican government, with the overarching goal being a transition from Commonwealth to Republic.
Read MoreOn March 8, Florida’s legislature passed a bill banning the discussion of sexual orientation and gender expression in elementary school classrooms. According to The Associated Press, Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law. If he does so, the legislation will go into effect on July 1, per ABC News. While the bill is officially titled “The Parental Rights in Education” bill, LGBT activists are calling it the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill, as, according to ABC News, they fear “it could act as a complete ban on the lessons on LGBTQ oppression, history and discussions about LGBTQ identities.”
Read More
According to Reuters, the attempted coup that took place on February 1 in Guinea-Bissau is the latest of more than a dozen coup attempts the West African nation has faced since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. While President Umaro Sissico Embalo and his entire cabinet survived, Al Jazeera reports the coup resulted in at least 11 fatalities.
Read More
After losing elections in 2013 and 2017, Xiomara Castro has officially been inaugurated as Honduras’s first female president, reports CNN. Castro first rose to political prominence in 2009, when she led a march through the nation’s capital demanding that her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, be reinstated as president following a military coup. Castro, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist brings an end to 12 years of right-wing leadership, BBC News adds. At her inauguration, she emphasized that she seeks to “refound” the nation on “citizen values, ”The New York Times reports.
Read More
It has been one year, six months, and a little over a week since March 13, 2020: the day that the flu-like illness called “coronavirus” suddenly brought the lives of every American to a screeching halt. The country waited nearly a full year for vaccines to become available yet, months after a nationwide vaccination campaign began, the crisis has morphed into a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” as The Guardian writes. Now, in light of the Delta variant and a slight waning immunity to COVID-19, there is talk of a third booster shot.
Read More